In 1945, General Douglas MacArthur included Watanabe as number 23 on his list of the 40 most wanted war criminals in Japan. However, Watanabe went into hiding and was never prosecuted. ... Watanabe died in April 2003.

Did Louie Zamperini ever meet The Bird?

Yes. Louis Zamperini met Corporal Mutsuhiro Watanabe (aka "The Bird") at the Omori POW camp located on an island in Tokyo Bay.

Why did they call Watanabe The Bird?

29), and "He was absolutely the most sadistic man I ever met" (4.23. 31). Okay, those are more like superlatives than praise, but this bird is more like a vicious hawk than a cute little blue jay, so it only makes sense. In fact, he earns his nickname—the Bird—because it carries "no negative connotation" (4.24.